Ink drawing by Hermann Hesse, July 26, 1930. Copyrighted by and reproduced with the kind permission of
Heiner Hesse.
Hesse lived in the Casa Camuzzi, immortalizing the picturesque little castle in his tale "Klingsor's
Last Summer". Many other works, though, were also completed or at least begun there, among
them "Siddhartha", "Steppenwolf", and "Narcissus and Goldmund", as well as countless short
stories, fairy tales, and essays. The Casa Camuzzi recently was the target of an effort by Hesse's
son Heiner Hesse and a number of friends to acquire it and turn it into a Hesse museum and
cultural meeting place for the entire region. The purchase failed, however, and the palazzo was
turned into condominiums. Most recently, Heiner Hesse negotiated with the owners of Hesse's
little apartment for the purchase of at least that area. (GG 6/7/96)